Twine controlling and cutting device



Dec. 14, 1937.

H. GEROUX TWINE CONTROLLING AND CUTTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1935 II IIJ+ I I I. I4

' INVENTOR. BY fi'Zrv/qy Geroa ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 14, 1937 'UNETED STATES TWINE CONTROLLING AND CUTTINGDEVICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a twine controlling and cutting device,applicable to flexible connections of different kinds and sizes, butmore particularly intended for use in controlling and severing twine asit is being used to bind up packages of meat and other merchandise.

The invention is embodied in a simple, manually operable article adaptedfor efiective use to guide a cord, to produce traction thereupon, and tosever such cord after the desired amount of traotive force has beenapplied thereto.

In the manual wrapping up of certain kinds of merchandise preparatory todelivery to customers, there has long been felt a need for some simple,inexpensive device to enable the salesman to draw twine or stringtightly around the package without irritating his hands, and thenexpeditiously to sever the cord without having to stop to pick up aknife for that purpose.

The present invention provides a simple, inexpensive device to fulfilthe aforesaid need.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention may hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates what is atpresent deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical mid-section taken on line ll of Fig.2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the irregular line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the casing side plates 5 are alikein design but reverse in pattern, each preferably being of an arcuatecharacter and having along its convex upper edge a flange 6 which abutsagainst its mate in the assembled article.

Each flange 6 is shown having near its front end an upwardly projectingear 1 which, in the assembly, abuts flatwise against one side of theknife K, a bolt 8, provided with a nut 9, extending through said earsand knife. Each casing plate 5 is also provided with a flange I0, whichunderlies the front portion of the plate and abuts against its mate inthe assembled article. At the rear end of the casing each flange 6 has acurved, downwardly directed portion I I, and a slot or open space I 2 isleft along the under-edge of the device, which slot extends from theflange portions ii to the flanges It.

A front bolt or rivet I3 and rear bolt or rivet l4 cooperate with theupper bolt 8 to hold together the side plates of the casing, inwardlyprojecting apertured bosses IS in an abutting relation to each other,preferably being formed PATENT errice at the place where the bolt orrivet hi passes through the casing. f

A manually operable, cord gripping lever l6, pivotally supported nearits upper end upon the part I 3, is mounted to swing within the casingto and from a projecting position with relation to the slot 12. Saidlever is normally yieldingly held in its projecting position by means ofa leaf or wire spring i! one end of which is fixed Within a recessprovided therefor in an upwardly extending shoulder IS with which leverI6 is provided.

The twine or cord 20 is led through the upper front part of the casing,entering through a rear opening 2! and emerging through a front opening22, the upper portion of the lever l6 having a cord gripping surface 23which, when said lever is manually retracted, cooperates with theopposite flanged portion of the casing to grip the cord firmly. Thefront portion of the knife K is furnished with a cord cutting edge 24.The rear portion of the casing is shaped to form a handle, indicated byH in Fig. 1, somewhat like the handle of a pistol. The entire deviceneed not be made as large or heavy as an ordinary pistol, and maytherefore be readily moved bodily into a position to cause the knifeedge 24 to sever the cord while traction is being applied thereto.

The casing shown in the drawing forms a support for the cord grippinglever and for the knife K, which is externally mounted thereon. Anydesired support or cord guide, within the scope of the appended claims,may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Owing to the fact that the cord gripping surface or shoulder 23 of thelever I6 is much closer to its pivot l3 than is its handle portion, amoderate pressure of the fingers of the operator against the lowersurface of said handle portion will serve to grip the cord firmly. Thehandle portion of the device consists of an arcuate tube curved like thehandle of a pistol, and the lever I6 is accessible to the fingers at theconcave side of said tube.

In the operation of the device, the free end portion of a ball of twine,for example, is fed through the opening Zl and thence through theopening 22 whence it is extended sufficiently to be used in tying up apackage. Thereupon, if for example, it is desired to tie a loop of cordaround a bundle of merchandise which has previously been rolled into acylindrical or other package form either with or without a wrapper, thecord is first passed one or more times around the bundle and then whilethe bundle lies upon a support the hand grasping the device is held at asuflicient'distance from the bundle topermit the'other hand to be usedto tie the firee end portion of the cord into a slip knot about the runof the cord between the device and .the

bundle. After this has been done the looped cord 'with the slipknottherein is drawn tightly about the bundle'by usingi th'e device tosupply 7 traction thereupon with one hand while the other'hand holds thebundle down. In'this way a secure, tight loop of. cord c'an'be tiedaround the (bundle, providing the slip knot madeis of the kind that willnot-recede after the cutter of the device has been used to sever thecord. Ow

ing to the fact that the. cord guidingmeans is confined to the frontpart ofthe elongated'casing of the cord becoming entangled.

I claim: 7

1. In a device of the kind described; a casing having a knife mountedexternally thereon and a cord guideleading'therethrough, and furnishedwith a handle portion whereby said casing is manually bodily movable tosever said cord, and means within said casing to grip the portion of.

the-cord within the casing between said means and said casing, said cordgripping means comprising a pivoted lever operable by thefingers of ahand which is gripping said handle portion, the cord-gripping portion ofsaid lever being a near its pivot and the portion thereof engageable Yby the fingers of the operator being remote 7 therefrom, there being anopening for the cord through the wall of the casing adjacent to saidknife in order that the cord may be directed backwardly from saidopening and then severed bysaid knife while said cord is held undertensionby said cord-grippingmeansl o 2. The subject matter of claim 1and, said handle portion being of' an arcuately tubular character, andsaid cord-gripping lever being accessible for operation by the fingersat the concave side of said handle portion.

HARVEY GEROUX. T 25

